Indigo League Redone
by etherealanjali
Summary: Experience Indigo League again, this time with two new characters.
1. Pokémon, I Choose You!

"Wake up!" Melanie shouted. Anjali groaned and pulled the covers over her head. "Anjali! Don't make me get The Bucket."

"You wouldn't..." Anjali said quietly.

"We're going to be late!" Melanie yelled.

"Late? For what?" Anjali asked in confusion.

"We're getting our own Pokémon today!" Melanie exclaimed.

"TODAY?" Anjali screamed and immediately hopped out of bed. She made it quickly then ran into the bathroom to wash her face. She quickly changed into the outfit she had picked out the night before: a white top, black shorts, light blue cardigan, white ankle boots, a light blue necklace, and her light blue ring that she always wore. She smiled at the color coordination in her outfit and brushed her teeth.

"I made breakfast!" Melanie shouted from the kitchen.

"Thanks!" Anjali shouted back and hurried to the kitchen. She sat down and ate the plate of pancakes that Melanie had made.

"I'm so fucking pumped," Melanie enthused. She had somehow changed out of her pajamas and into a white shirt with only the collar revealed underneath a black sweater, a black skirt, black stockings, black ankle boots, a necklace with a dusty gold rose inside silver plating, and a silver rose ring while also managing to make breakfast.

"Me too. I wonder what Pokémon my parents got for us," Anjali replied. Anjali's parents took care of both Anjali and Melanie, since Melanie's parents weren't around. Unfortunately, both of Anjali's parents were busy and couldn't come to see them off, so they got special starter Pokémon for the girls.

They finished their pancakes and Anjali washed the dishes while Melanie checked their bags to make sure they had everything they needed to set off on their Pokémon journey.

"We're ready," Melanie said. Anjali nodded and they started walking to Professor Oak's lab.

They saw a huge crowd of people standing around.

"What is this bull?" Anjali asked.

"What the fuck is happening?" Melanie asked.

Nevertheless, they headed inside.

"Melanie, Anjali, I've been expecting you," Professor Oak greeted them.

"Hello," Anjali said as Melanie nodded and smiled.

"Here are your Pokémon," he said as he handed them two Pokéballs.

They opened them excitedly. "A Togepi! Aw, it's so cute!" Anjali exclaimed. "Hello there. We're going to be great companions, I'm sure," she said to her Togepi.

"Togepi," it smiled.

"A Gastly? Awesome!" Melanie said. "It's kind of cute. I'm naming it Zeref."

"I hereby nickname thee, Hatch," Anjali said as she hugged her Togepi.

"Here are five Pokéballs for each of you," Oak said, handing the Pokéballs to the girls.

They put the Pokéballs in their backpacks. "I'm also giving you your Pokédexes."

They took the Pokedexes and a boy walked in.

"So, you decided to show up after all," Professor Oak remarked.

"Professor Oak! Where's my Pokémon?" he asked excitedly. "I'm ready!"

"You look like you're ready for bed," Melanie said sarcastically as Anjali stifled a laugh.

"I hope you aren't going to train in your pajamas," Professor Oak said.

"Oh, no, I woke up late and got messed up this morning, but I'm definitely ready for a Pokémon!" he shouted excitedly.

The professor showed him the three Pokéballs. "It took me a long time, but I finally decided on Squirtle! Huh?" It was empty.

"Taken by someone who was on time."

"Oh, then I'll have Bulbasaur! Um..."

"Also taken by someone on time."

"Alright, then I'll just have Charmander!" Again, there was no Pokémon inside.

"The early bird gets the Pokémon, I suppose."

"Isn't there any Pokémon I can have?" the boy asked.

"Well, there is one, but-"

"I'll take it!" the boy shouted immediately.

"I should warn you: there is a problem with this last one," the professor said.

"I have to have a Pokémon," the boy replied.

"Well, in that case, here," he handed the Pokéball over.

A flash of light blinded everyone in the room for a few seconds as a Pokémon materialized.

"Pikachu," the Pikachu said. Anjali put her hands over her mouth to keep from squealing from the cuteness. Melanie was questioning why they were still there.

"That's a Pikachu."

"It's so cute; it's the best one of all!" the boy exclaimed, hugging the Pikachu. The Pikachu shocked him.

"They're usually shy but can sometimes have an electrifying personality," the professor said.

"I see what you mean," the boy said.

"How shocking," Melanie said. Anjali elbowed her while giggling.

"Here are your Pokéballs and Pokédex," the professor said. They both got shocked by the Pikachu.

"Thank you," the boy said through electricity.

"You're welcome," Oak replied.

"Are you alright?" Anjali asked the boy.

"I think so," he said, putting down the Pikachu. "I'm Ash Ketchum."

"I'm Anjali," she replied, putting her arm out. They shook hands.

"Melanie," Melanie said briskly.

"What Pokémon did you get?" Ash asked.

"This is a Togepi. I named it Hatch," she said, showing Ash.

"It's so cute," Ash commented.

"Isn't it?" Anjali smiled.

"How come you didn't get one of the three usual starters?" Ash asked, starting to walk slowly to the exit of the lab. The others followed.

"Well, my parents weren't able to come see us off so they-" Melanie elbowed Anjali.

"Don't reveal so much information about yourself to strangers, idiot," she chided.

"He's ten, what will he do?" Anjali defended herself.

"Aren't you ten, too?" Ash asked.

"I'm eleven, actually," Anjali said.

"Why are you getting your Pokémon now?" Ash questioned.

"I'm a year younger than her, and she didn't want to go off without me," Melanie explained.

"Wow, you got a crowd for you too," she remarked.

Ash stood in shock. "Goodbye. Maybe we'll meet again," Anjali said. She and Melanie headed off toward Viridian City.


	2. Journey to Viridian City!

Anjali quickly realized she was still carrying her Togepi rather than it being in its Pokéball. "I should probably put Hatch in the Pokéball, shouldn't I?" Anjali asked.

"Yes, you should," Melanie said.

"Alright, Hatch, get in the ball now," Anjali said, holding it open.

"Togepiiiii," it protested, shaking its head.

"You don't want to go in?" she asked. It shook its head again. "Well, alright. I'm not gonna force you."

"That's strange," Melanie commented. Anjali and Melanie entered the forest and looked at the map they got.

"What's strange?"

"Gastly went in the ball as soon as I asked."

"That is kind of weird. Oh well! I guess Hatch is unique, aren't you?" she ended the sentence while snuggling it. It cuddled with her and Anjali was happy.

They tried to follow the map but got distracted by all the Pokémon that were wandering the forest.

"Ooh, Melanie, look, an Oddish!" Anjali exclaimed.

"You want it, don't you?" Melanie asked.

"Yes!" Anjali replied excitedly.

"Get it."

"Ready for your first battle, Hatch?" Anjali asked.

"Togepi," it nodded slightly. She let it down and the Oddish turned to face them.

"Hatch, Metronome!" Anjali ordered.

Togepi used Lovely Kiss and the Oddish fell asleep. Anjali used a Pokéball to capture the Oddish.

They continued through, following the map as closely as possible. They finally saw Viridian City in the far distance!

"Yay!" they exclaimed. They stopped walking for a few minutes to drink water and eat some snacks, they had been walking for a while now. Anjali brought out the Oddish she had recently captured. It was awake now.

"Hello there," she said, smiling. It smiled back tentatively. She pet it slowly. "Will you be my friend?" It nodded shyly. Anjali smiled.

"Can I hold Hatch?" Melanie asked.

"Sure," Anjali said and handed the Togepi to her.

"Togepi," it smiled up at Melanie.

"Aww," she said.

"What would we do if we got separated while journeying somewhere?" Anjali asked.

"What do you mean?" Melanie asked.

"If we got separated on the way to, say, even Viridian, how would we meet up?" Anjali rephrased the question.

"Hmm. What if... we met at the police station in the city we're headed to?" Melanie suggested.

"Alright. And if either of us needs something from outside the station, we'll just tell an officer about the situation and they can convey the message to the other person," Anjali added.

Melanie nodded. She stood up. "We should probably get going now and head to Viridian."

"Yeah, that's a good idea," Anjali said, standing up as well.

Suddenly, the Togepi was snatched from Melanie's arms by a Meowth in a hot air balloon!

"WHAT THE FUCK?" Anjali yelled as Melanie jumped as high as she could to try to hold on to the edge of the wood. She succeeded in this.

"MELANIE?" Anjali exclaimed.

"I WAS HOLDING TOGEPI, SO I'LL GET IT! JUST FOLLOW THE PLAN!" Melanie shouted back.

"OKAY!" Anjali replied. After calming down, she continued on the path to Viridian City. "Oddish, do you like the name Demeter?"

Melanie lifted herself up over the edge to be greeted by the sight of a man with lavender hair and green eyes and a woman with magenta hair and blue eyes, as well as the Meowth.

"You better give back that Togepi," Melanie threatened.

"No way. Togepi are fairly rare and that's what our job is: to steal rare Pokémon!" Meowth said.

Melanie grinned wickedly and reached for the single Pokéball that contained a Pokémon.

Anjali smiled as Demeter accepted its new nickname. She had named it after the goddess of harvest and agriculture, yes. "Demeter, would you like to go back in the Pokéball for the remainder of the journey or would you like me to carry you?"

"Oddish oddish," it said, snuggling into Anjali's arms.

"Alright. I'll probably have to put you in the Pokéball when we get there, though, so I don't look like I'm kidnapping you or something."

The man and woman fell backwards at the sight of the Gastly. "Zeref, Lick Meowth."

"GASTLY," it said before performing Lick. Meowth was paralyzed and Hatch escaped from the Meowth. Melanie grabbed Hatch and told Zeref to become as solid as possible.

Zeref formed hands that were solid and Melanie handed Hatch to it before jumping out. She landed on her hands and knees a bit painfully. Her hands were bruised. Zeref floated down with Hatch in its arms. The arms failed just then, but Melanie caught the Togepi in her arms.

"Thank you, Gastly."


	3. Pokémon Emergency

Anjali put Demeter in its Pokéball and finally stepped into Viridian City. She sighed and smiled. An officer greeted her there.

"Hello. And who might you be?" the cop asked.

"My name is Anjali Vaid and I'm from Pallet," she said.

"You're the fourth person I've seen today from Pallet. May I see your ID?"

"Fourth? Already?" Anjali asked as she handed her Pokédex over.

"Yup. Anyways, my name is Officer Jenny," she introduced herself.

Anjali took her Pokédex back. "My friend and I got separated because someone stole my one of my Pokémon and she went after it. She told me to wait for her here."

"A Pokémon thief? By any chance, did they look like that?" Jenny gestured to a wanted poster.

"Yes, they did! And they had a Meowth helping them," Anjali replied.

"Come inside so you can write a report," Jenny offered.

Anjali nodded. Jenny handed her a pen and a form to fill out. She got to work quickly.

Melanie now had Hatch on her left shoulder, holding onto her neck for support after the former had complained about carrying the latter due to her bruised hands. Zeref was back in its Pokéball.

"Hatch... that's kind of starting to hurt my shoulder now," Melanie said. Hatch cooed and got down onto the floor before grabbing one of Melanie's Pokéballs out of her backpack and going inside.

Melanie smiled and continued the long walk.

Anjali had finished her paperwork and gave it to Officer Jenny.

"Say, kid, would you like to help me out until your friend shows up?" Jenny asked.

"Yeah, sure," Anjali answered.

"I'm gonna announce that the thieves are nearby," Jenny said.

"Alright," Anjali responded.

"Attention, citizens of Viridian City. Attention, citizens of Viridian City. We have word of possible Pokémon theives in our area. Be on the lookout for suspicious looking strangers. Repeat, be on the lookout for suspicious looking strangers."

"Speak of the devil," Jenny said.

"I think I know that guy," Anjali mused.

"Well, let's go see."

"Hold it! And just where do you think you're going with that Pokémon, young man?"

"Ash?" Anjali asked.

"Anjali! I have to take my Pikachu to the Pokémon Center right away!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you might be stealing it. Just show me your ID and you can go," Jenny said.

"ID? Um, I don't have any. You see, we just came here from Pallet and-"

"Ash, it's right here," Anjali said, taking his Pokédex out of his pocket. She flipped it open and showed Officer Jenny.

"There we go!" Jenny said.

"Oh, I didn't realize that my Pokédex was also my ID! Can I go to the Pokémon Center now?"

"Hmm... we'll go on my motorcycle."

Anjali, Ash, and Pikachu piled into the side car. "Try not to scream," Jenny said. They did. They raced off to the Pokémon Center.

"This is tricky. Hold on!" Officer Jenny spoke, skidding in.

"We have a driveway, you know," said the nurse.

"It's a Pokémon emergency!" Jenny said.

"Looks like a Pikachu. I need a stretcher for a small electric Pokémon, stat!" A few Chansey brought it in and put Pikachu onto the stretcher.

"Is there anything I can do?" Ash asked.

"You can be more responsible, young man! You never let a Pokémon fight until it gets to that condition!" the nurse said to him.

"But-" They left. Ash sat down on a bench. Anjali joined him.

They were silent.

"Pikachu's gonna be okay, you know," Anjali said, patting him on the shoulder.

"You think so?" Ash asked.

"I know so. Pokémon Centers work like magic. They've almost always been able to save Pokémon."

"Thanks for telling me. Hey, where's your friend- um... what was her name again?"

"Melanie?" Anjali offered.

"Yeah. Melanie. Where is she?"

"I don't know," Anjali said, looking down.

"Did you get separated?" Ash asked knowingly.

"Yes. We decided to meet at the police station but I think you need my help too. Officer Jenny can just tell her where I am."

"I don't-"

"Yeah, yeah, shut up, you were about to cry," she teased him.

"I was not!" he exclaimed.

"I'm joking," she smiled. Ash's face softened and he smiled. "Have you caught any new Pokémon yet?"

"I haven't even gotten the chance to. You see, we went into the forest and..." He told the entire story to her.

When he finished, all Anjali had to say was, "Spearow are dicks."

"You're telling me," he laughed. "Anyways, how did you and Melanie got separated?" Anjali told the story to him. "So you don't have Hatch with you?" She shook her head. "That must suck, to not have any Pokémon with you."

"Actually, I have Demeter," she said.

"The goddess?" Ash asked curiously.

"No, Demeter is what I named my Oddish. Based off the goddess, yeah," she said.

"You have an Oddish? Can I see it?" he asked.

"Sure," Anjali said, bringing out Demeter. "Hello, Demeter. This is my... acquaintance, Ash."

"We're not friends yet?" he asked.

Shit, she thought. "My friend Ash."

Ash smiled at it. "I think I should check in with my mom."

"Do that." She watched as he called his mother.

Melanie saw a Spearow. She brought out Zeref and decided to capture the Spearow.

"Zeref, lick," she ordered. It did and the Spearow was paralyzed. She captured it with her Pokéball.

"I'll nickname it Wendy," Melanie decided, bringing it out and telling it that before putting it back into its Pokéball due to entering Viridian City.

She went up to Officer Jenny. "Excuse me, has a girl named Anjali been here?"

"Yes! You're the friend who got separated, right?"

"Yeah."

"Anjali went to the Pokémon Center with a boy named Ash."

"Thanks for telling me," she said and started the walk to the Center.

Melanie heard footsteps behind her and saw a girl with a bicycle on her shoulders running. She sweatdropped as the girl went far ahead of her.

Anjali watched as Ash's mom gave him a pep talk.

"And have you been changing your underwear every day?"

"Yes." Anjali exhaled through her nose in a laugh.

"I love you. Goodbye!"

"You too, mom. Bye," he said, hanging up."

*RING RING RING PHONE CALL PHONE CALL* *RING RING RING PHONE CALL PHONE CALL*

"Uh, this is Ash. Who's calling?" Ash asked. Anjali came up next to him.

"Hello, Ash. Oh, Anjali! What a pleasant surprise," Oak said.

Anjali was confused. "Professor? Is that you?"

"Yes, can't you tell?" he asked.

"We couldn't tell from the back of your head, Professor," Ash said.

"Oops, wrong camera." Anjali laughed. "I just spoke with your mother, Ash, and she said you've made it to the Pokémon Center in Viridian City. Is that correct?"

Ash and Anjali shared a look. "How else would he be able to answer, Professor?"

"How else? Oh, I see. I dialed the Pokémon Center in Viridian City, and you answered."

"Yes, because that's where I am," Ash said.

"Mhmm. I'm pleasantly surprised you made it there so quickly. I must admit, when you left, I had my doubts that you could handle Pikachu. But Gary and I bet a million dollars over you having a new Pokémon by the time you got to Viridian!"

"Well, money isn't everything, right?" Ash sweatdropped.

The Professor was disappointed.

"But I did see a Pokémon like that!" Ash said.

"You saw Ho-Oh?" Anjali asked in astonishment.

"Is that what it's called?" Ash asked. She nodded.

"I sincerely doubt it. Trainers have searched their whole lives and never seen it. You must've been mistaken." There was silence for a millisecond before a doorbell rang and Oak hung up to get his pizza.

"Do you really think you saw Ho-Oh?"

"Yes."

"Now I've got you!"

"Who are you?" Anjali asked.

"Who are you?" Misty countered.

"I'm Anjali..."

"Hey, what happened to your bike?"

"What happened to my bike? YOU happened to my bike, you little loser! This is what's left of it after you stole it to save your Pokémon!"

"Can that really be considered bad?" Anjali asked hypothetically.

"SHUT UP!" Misty screamed. She then fell over. Anjali stifled a laugh.

Ash offered a hand to her.

"I don't need your help! And you're going to pay for what you did to my bike!"

"I'll make up for it, I promise! But I can't do anything until-"

"I don't want any of your lame excuses, kid, I just want a new bike right now!" Misty screamed.

"It's my Pikachu. It's not too good..." Ash glanced back at the room in which Pikachu resided.

"Is it very serious?" Misty asked softly.

"I think so. And there's nothing I can do to help now."

"Oh."

They heard a beep and the doors opening.

Anjali and Ash ran quickly while Misty trailed behind.

"Pikachu!"

"Your Pikachu's resting. It's a good thing you got it here so fast. The procedure went well, and it should be fine."

"Thanks to you!" Anjali smiled.

"Yes, thank you," Ash said.

"Now, Pikachu needs a rest in the Recovery Room. You should go in with it, Ash."

"Thanks. Listen, I'm sorry about your bike, but I need some time to make things right."

"No way! I fell for that last time!"

Suddenly, the doors to the Pokémon Center opened.

"I'm in the motherfucking house!" Melanie sang.

"Young lady, you should not know those words," scolded Nurse Joy.

"Sorry," she said quickly.

"Melanie!" Anjali exclaimed, glomping her.

"Yes, I'm finally here! And here's Hatch!" Anjali pulled back excitedly.

Melanie released Hatch from a Pokéball inside her bag.

Anjali squealed and glomped Hatch as well. Anjali immediately felt happier.

"Who's the chick? And why is there a Kentucky fried bike on the floor?" Melanie asked.

Anjali giggled. She opened her mouth to answer but never got the chance because sirens started blaring.

"Attention, please! The Viridian City radars have detected an aircraft belonging to a gang of Pokémon thieves! If you have a Pokémon in your possession, exercise extreme caution!" Officer Jenny's voice rang through the Center.

"Hatch, I think you should get in your Pokéball. Where's Demeter? Ash?"

"It's right here," Ash said, lifting it up. Anjali ran back, dragging Melanie along, and put both of the monsters into their balls.

Two Pokéballs fell through the roof and released a Koffing and an Ekans. The Koffing released gas.

"What is going on?" Ash asked.

"Don't be frightened, kids," a woman's voice rang.

"Allow us to introduce ourselves," a man's voice said.

"Prepare for trouble!"

"And make it double!"

"To protect the world from devastation..."

"To unite all peoples within our nation..."

"Jessie!"

"James!"

The smoke cleared. "Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth, that's right!"

"THE MEOWTH CAN TALK?" Anjali exclaimed.

"You don't get it, do you?"

"WHAT I DO GET IS THAT YOU TRIED TO STEAL MY TOGEPI!"

"We're here for Pokémon."

"You're not getting Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed.

"And I'm definitely not letting you get my Togepi," Anjali said defensively.

"We're not interested in your precious electric rat," Jessie said.

"We seek only rare and valuable Pokémon," James said.

"You're wasting your time at a Pokémon Center," Nurse Joy said.

"They may be sick or injured, but I wouldn't be surprised if we found a few Pokémon gems among all the junk."

"You're starting to bug me," Ash warned.

"Isn't that cute? The boy's bugged. So let's squash him!" Team Rocket all exclaimed.

"Koffing, attack! Ekans, go!"

The group made a run for it and entered a room with tons of Pokéballs.

"The lights!" Misty exclaimed as they went out. Anjali shuddered in her fear of the dark.

"They must've cut the power. But we have our own Pika-power source!" Nurse Joy replied.

The lights came back on.

"Pika pika chu chu!" chorused throughout the room.

"Wow, look at all the Pikachu!" Misty exclaimed in awe.

"A crisis has arisen," said a computer as the screen flashed on. "Initiating emergency Pokéball transport sequence."

"We have to save those Pokéballs! This is the Viridian City Pokémon Center. We have an emergency situation. Transporting Pokéballs!"

Nurse Joy typed into the computer.

"This is the Pewter City Pokémon Center. Ready to receive Pokéballs."

Koffing burst through the door, knocking over Pokéballs.

"Get those Pokéballs!" Nurse Joy ordered.

Melanie, Anjali, and Ash quickly made to grab them.

"Throw em! This is war!" Misty said.

Anjali threw a Pokéball, which released a sleeping Clefairy. Anjali cursed under her breath and called it back.

Melanie's was empty.

Ash's Pokéball yielded a Pidgey, which fled at the sight of Ekans and Koffing.

"Some are empty?" Melanie asked.

Nurse Joy nodded.

"Well, this one feels like a winner!" Melanie released a Rattata.

"Pipsqueak."

It fled at the sight of Ekans.

"Looks like I'll have to take matters into my own hands. Take Pikachu and go! I'll handle these three clowns!" Misty said suddenly.

"Melanie, use Zeref," Anjali suggested.

"It's resting," she replied.

"That's pretty big talk coming from such a little lady," Jessie said.

"At least you're right about the pretty part. Thanks for the compliment," Misty replied.

Anjali rolled her eyes. "The girl thinks she's pretty."

"I agree with her. I think she's pretty, too. Pretty pathetic!"

"That was great," Melanie said. Anjali snickered.

"I'll show you! Pokéball, go!" Misty yelled. Out came... Goldeen.

"That's supposed to save us?" Anjali asked.

"Goldeen, return!"

"That's her best shot?"

"She's all washed up."

"You know as well as I do that a water Pokémon can't battle on land. I was just warming up."

"Warming up?" Ash asked.

"Just get Pikachu out of here!" Misty replied.

"Right!" Ash ran out.

Anjali and Melanie shared a glance before following.

Pikachu woke up and a bunch of Pikachu piled on top of it to combine an electric shock.

They shocked Team Rocket successfully and Ash's Pikachu came to the top.

"Pikachu!"

"Pikachu, you're like food for me!" Meowth threatened.

"Pika pika!" Pikachu said.

"You want more power?" Ash asked.

It nodded and Ash powered up the bike's light. Pikachu used the energy to shock Team Rocket.

Melanie and Anjali watched on in amusement before Koffing released gas.

The Pokémon Center exploded.

Luckily, the humans and their monsters were safe. Except for Team Rocket, who blasted off.

"How about you guys head to Pewter City? It's through Viridian Forest," Nurse Joy suggested.

"Are we traveling together now?" Melanie asked.

"Sure," Anjali said.

"I wouldn't mind," Ash said. "You girls seem pretty cool. And you seem to know what you're doing, Anjali."

"That extra year wasn't spent playing video games! Well, it was, but not completely," she admitted.

"What about me?" Misty exclaimed.

"What about you?" Anjali asked.

"Does that mean I have to go too?" Misty asked.

"No..." Melanie trailed off. "Please don't come, actually. I really don't like you."

"Well, he owes me a bike. So I'm coming," Misty said.

"Great," Anjali said sarcastically. Ash groaned.

"Hmph," Misty turned away.

"Well, let's head to Viridian Forest. Which way is it?" Melanie asked.

Nurse Joy showed them the way and they thanked her and entered the forest.

Anjali released Hatch since it was safe now. She also brought out Demeter.

"An Oddish! How cute!" Misty said, reaching out for it. Anjali smacked her hands.

"I'm not letting you taint my precious Pokémon!" Anjali said.

"Oddish," Demeter smiled up at her. Anjali smiled back and stroked its leaves.

"What is that thing? It's cute too!"

"A Togepi. You can't touch it either," Anjali ordered. She leaned down to allow Hatch onto her shoulder.

"Let's go!"


	4. Ash Catches a Pokémon

A scream erupted in the usually quiet forest.

It was Misty. She grabbed onto Ash's back. Melanie rolled her eyes. Was Ash supposed to protect her after all the crap she gave him earlier?

"What is it?" Anjali sighed.

Misty pointed shakily.

"Ooh, a Caterpie! Any of you wanna catch it?" Anjali asked.

"I sure do!" Ash exclaimed excitedly. He and the Caterpie faced off.

Ash dramatically threw a Pokéball. It shook.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

The button turned white.

Anjali witnessed Ash's face turn to an expression of pure joy. She smiled as Ash ran forward to grab the ball. "Yes! I did it!"

Ash leaned on Melanie and boasted, going into many different poses before running in circles and dragging Anjali with him.

"Look!" Ash brought the Pokéball to Misty's face. "Inside is the first Pokémon I have ever caught in my whole life!"

"Great, just keep it away from me, will ya?"

"You're afraid of a Caterpie? Really, dude?" Anjali asked tauntingly.

"I am NOT a dude!" she exploded.

"Hold on a sec, what's your name?" Melanie asked the redhead.

"It's Misty. What's yours?" she gritted out.

"Melanie, don't wear it out!" She chuckled and Misty groaned. "You bitch." Misty glared at Melanie before her attention was taken once more by Ash.

Ash teasingly brought the Pokéball near Misty again.

"Bugs get me all bugged out! Even when they're in a Pokéball. JUST KEEP IT AWAY!"

"I like bugs, even when they're not in Pokéballs," Ash said.

"I like some bugs. As long as they're friendly," Anjali added.

"Not Beedrill," Melanie coughed. Anjali laughed.

"What's so bad about Beedrill?" Ash asked.

"Well, you see, they're part poison type," Anjali started.

"And they usually do not have a good temperament. Right, Miss Pokédex?" Melanie teased.

"Right," Anjali grinned.

"Oh, I see. Pikachu, we've got a new friend!"

"Pika!"

"Glad you approve, buddy."

"Why don't you bring out Caterpie right now so we can bond with it?" Anjali was giddy at the thought of being surrounded by new Pokémon friends.

"Sure. Caterpie, come on out!" Misty bolted.

It made a sound and Melanie and Anjali immediately dropped to their knees on instinct to pet it.

It cooed and went over to Melanie and Anjali so they could pet it. It then spotted Misty hiding and screeched, going to her the fastest they had ever seen a Pokémon go.

"I don't think you should do that!" Hatch shouted to Caterpie. Anjali looked at Hatch in awe.

"Did you hear that?" Anjali asked Melanie.

"What? 'Togi togi togepi?'"

"Well, yes, but I understand it!"

"You're fucking with me."

"No, I swear." Misty screamed. Anjali and Melanie knew that Caterpie had reached her.

"Get this disgusting bug away! Please don't come any closer!" she exclaimed, backing away.

Melanie went up to Misty. "Wanna see my starter?"

Misty stood quickly. "Sure."

Melanie brought out Zeref. "This is Zeref."

"THAT'S TERRIFYING!" Misty screamed, shaking.

"Why is it called Zeref?" Ash asked.

"That's the name of a character from this manga I'm reading," Melanie explained.

Caterpie approached Misty slowly and rubbed against her leg. Misty shuddered.

"It really likes you! How cute," Ash commented.

"No way."

"What's your problem? It's friendly enough," Anjali said.

"I know! You three can be friends with that creepy bug and I'll be friends with Pikachu," Misty said, grabbing Pikachu, who had gone to comfort Caterpie.

"Pikachu only likes me and zaps anybody who tries to- huh?" Ash cut himself off.

Misty and Pikachu were getting along just fine. "Pikachu!" Ash enunciated.

Misty looked up to see Caterpie's tear-filled eyes.

Melanie pitied the poor bug. It didn't deserve such rejection.

"Gross! Ash, put that slimy thing back into the Pokéball! Bugs are one of the three most disgusting things in the world!"

"You do realize that Caterpie isn't slimy, right?" Melanie asked sarcastically.

"Aside from you, what are the other disgusting things?" Ash asked.

Anjali and Melanie made the proper sound effect. "OOOOOOHHHHHHH!" They then cracked up. Ash chuckled.

"Very funny. Carrots, peppers, and bugs!"

"Where did she get that mallet from?" Melanie asked tentatively.

"I like carrots and peppers and bugs! What I don't like is the way you're hurting Caterpie's feelings with your silly fear!"

"Called out!" Anjali yelled.

"Where did the mallet go?" Melanie asked nervously.

"You're not ugly or disgusting, Caterpie. Come onto my shoulder. You won't scare Misty anymore."

"Does that mean...?" Anjali trailed off.

"What do you mean it won't scare me?" Misty asked in shock.

"It means we're leaving you behind," Melanie said.

"That's right," Ash said.

"Yay," Anjali said. They walked away and didn't feel bad.

"This is so much more peaceful," Anjali commented.

"It's been thirty seconds," Melanie deadpanned.

"You know I don't like yelling," Anjali replied.

"Right. So, Ash, tell us more about yourself. What's your dream?"

"I want to become a Pokémon Master," Ash said excitedly. "What about you two? Why are you on your journeys?"

"I want to travel and make friends along the journey," Melanie replied.

"I don't really know. I've been thinking about it but I'm pretty lost. I guess I really just want to make friends with people and Pokémon."

"I'm sure you'll find your dream along the journey through Kanto," Ash assured her.

"I hope so," she replied.

"Misty is behind us," Melanie whispered without looking back.

"Huh?" Ash and Anjali exclaimed, both looking back.

Misty sweatdropped and hid.

"Why?" Ash asked.

"I'm holding you responsible for my bike!" Misty said.

"When will you get over that bike?"

"Idiot! If I had my bike, I could've been out of here by now!"

"I told you I'd repay you some day! And if I'm an idiot, how come you're still following me?"

"Burn," Anjali and Melanie shouted.

"I'm not following you! This is the fastest way through the woods!"

"Fine! Do whatever you want!"

"That's exactly what I'm doing! And my bike was custom made and costed ten thousand Pokédollars, so good luck with that!"

"Shit," Ash cursed under his breath.

"Aw, man. Why does this happen to me?" Anjali complained.

"Oh well. We'll get through it. Maybe she'll get better after a while," Melanie comforted her.

"She's kind of hot, huh?" Ash asked. Melanie and Anjali were surprised. They didn't find the angry type to be very appealing.

"She has nice legs, I'll give her that," Melanie replied.

"Agreed," Anjali responded, she rubbed Oddish's leafy head and Togepi's spikes. They cooed. She then tried to pet Zeref, but it was hard since it was mostly gas.

Anjali felt a presence behind her and turned in time to see an injured Rattata collapse. She quickly set Hatch and Demeter down. "Oh no!" She went over and found a Revive successfully. She had learned in her studies that Revives were very useful and she should keep them on her at all times. She used it on the Rattata and it awoke. Melanie and Ash watched on.

"Are you okay?" Anjali asked, holding out her palm. It nodded and sniffed her, coming into her palm. "What happened?"

"A trainer tried to attack me so its Bulbasaur could get some experience. I managed to get away."

"Poor thing. I'm glad you're alright now. Well, be free!" she beamed. It hesitated.

"What's the matter?" Anjali asked curiously.

"I don't feel safe out there," it admitted.

"Well, would you like to come with me?" Anjali offered. It nodded and went to her belt, pressing its nose to a button on one of her Pokéballs. It entered and didn't shake, instead being immediately captured.

"Would you like to come out right now?"

"No. I'd like to rest up a bit."

"Alright!"

"That was great. I probably would've panicked," Ash said.

"Thanks, but it was no big deal. I've healed wild Pokémon before," Anjali explained.

"Really?" Ash asked.

"We're outside a lot and we do live pretty close to Route 1," Melanie explained.

"That makes sense," Ash replied.

"Caterpie, how are you feeling?" Anjali asked.

"Not the best," it replied.

"I know what will make you feel better," she said. She opened her backpack and pulled out a Frosted Spice Poké Puff. She had a few that she had baked before she left the house, and she also brought a kit and some ingredients.

Caterpie ate it up and rubbed against her as a thank you. Anjali smiled.

"What are those?" Ash asked.

"Poké Puffs," she explained. "They're little treats you can give to Pokémon. They love them."

"Can Zeref have one?" Melanie asked.

"Sure," Anjali replied, taking out five. "Hatch, Demeter, Pikachu, feel free to dig in as well!" She also brought out Rattata and fed the fifth one to it carefully before putting it back in the ball. The other Pokémon also enjoyed the Puffs.

"The sun is starting to set. Do you think we should set up for the night?" Ash asked.

"Yeah, we should," Melanie replied. They set their sleeping bags down and ate dinner in the form of fruits. After brushing their teeth, they settled down in their sleeping bags and talked for a while before deciding to go to bed.

"We'd better get some sleep now. Tomorrow's gonna be a big day," Ash said. The Pokémon gibbered.

"We'd all be able to get some sleep if you'd just shut up," Misty retorted.

"He's not bothering any of us. Stop being so loud," Anjali scolded her.

It was silent.

After about twenty minutes, Anjali noticed that everyone else was asleep except the Pokémon. She could hear them talking amongst themselves.

She got out of her sleeping bag and sat with the Pokémon. They welcomed her appearance. Anjali decided to give her monsters massages so they would feel good and like her a little more. She stared into the fire and looked up when Caterpie started talking. She saw a Butterfree.

Suddenly, screaming terrified the crap out of the group, effectively waking them up.

"What? What's wrong?" Ash asked.

"What's happening?" Melanie asked.

Anjali slowly rose and realize she fell asleep against the tree stump and did not make it back to her sleeping bag. She stretched out her back as she stood.

"That thing was sleeping near me!" Misty complained

"Caterpie wants to be your friend, Misty," Ash chuckled.

"If you're a Pokémon, get out of my face and into that Poké Ball!"

"Unbelievable! Caterpie means no harm!" Ash yelled. Caterpie entered its Poké Ball. "Misty, apologize to Caterpie."

"No way!"

"Caterpie, don't worry. Someday, we'll show her," Ash tried to comfort it.

"Is that-" Melanie started.

"A PIDGEOTTO! HI!" Anjali exclaimed, having never seen one outside of pictures and videos.

"Pidgeo," it squawked in her general direction. Anjali grinned.

"Wow!" Ash exclaimed, holding up his PokéDex.

"Pidgeotto, an evolved form of Pidgey. It is armed with sharp claws and dives from the sky to capture its prey. Unlike the more gentle Pidgey, Pidgeotto can be dangerous. Approach with extreme caution."

"Seems fine to me," Anjali beamed.

Ash threw a Poké Ball but Pidgeotto flicked it away.

"You can't just throw Poké Balls and capture it! You have to battle and weaken it first! You only caught Caterpie because it's a weakling!" Misty ranted.

"Stop picking on Caterpie," Ash replied.

"Ash, ask it for a battle," Melanie suggested.

"Alright, Pidgeotto. I'd like a battle," Ash offered. It turned to him and accepted.

"Caterpie, go!"

"Wait, Ash! No!" Melanie warned.

"Huh? Did I do something wrong?" Ash asked.

Even Misty and Pikachu were concerned. "Bug types are weak to Flying types!" Anjali exclaimed.

Pidgeotto had begun chasing Caterpie.

"Pidgeotto like to EAT small Bug types!" Misty added.

Pidgeotto swooped in the air and came down straight at Caterpie.

"Caterpie, counter it!" Caterpie entered battle stance but was quickly knocked down. "Caterpie, return! Pikachu, you're up!"

"Thunderbolt is the way to go," Anjali suggested.

"You heard her, Pikachu!" Pikachu powered up and used Thunderbolt.

Ash threw the Poké Ball.

It shook.

Twice.

Three times.

The button turned white.

"Yes! I caught Pidgeotto!" Ash said, making a peace sign. Pikachu made its own little peace sign.

"I'm the greatest!" Ash boasted.

"You're the worst! It'll be a long, long time until you're a master," Misty shot back.

"I'm trying to-"

"You have to learn about Pokémon first! Things don't work out just because you hope they will! You have to use strategy! Unfortunately for you, trainers have to have a brain!"

"I agree that he should learn more about type advantages and disadvantages, but you don't have to be so harsh, Misty. It was his first real battle and he's only just started his journey," Anjali pointed out. Ash was almost to tears.

"You've also only just started-"

"I've been studying Pokémon native to Kanto and Johto for a whole year! That comparison is unfair!"

They heard a woman's laugh.

"So, we meet again," a man's voice rung.

"I know that voice..." Melanie trailed off.

The Team Rocket motto was recited.

"Um, we're kind of busy right now. Please go away," Melanie said.

"We're not here to listen to you, we're here to take that Pokémon," Jessie said.

"Hand over that Pikachu."

"My asking you to leave was not a suggestion," Melanie said.

"The girl thinks she's tough, Jessie."

"It doesn't matter. She can't stop us."

"And why do you want a Pikachu? They're not very str-" Anjali looked at Pikachu. "Sorry."

"We seek rare Pokémon. We want that one specifically. It has great power," Jessie explained.

"Don't give away all our secrets!" Meowth said, beating them.

"We don't want a Pikachu. We want that one. It has perfect IVs; we can tell," Meowth said.

"What are IVs?" Melanie asked.

"Individual Values."

"Now you're the one giving away all our secrets," James said as he and Jessie beat Meowth.

"Cut it out!"

"Make things easy and hand over Pikachu."

"No way," Ash resisted.

"Then we do this the hard way. A battle. Ekans, go!"

"Koffing, go get them!"

"Two against one is cheating!" Ash said.

"All's fair in love, war, and battles!

"That's rotten and so are you," Ash said.

"Of course we are. We're the bad guys!"

"Well, if they're gonna use two Pokémon, so will we!" Misty said.

"Ash, I can't help. Hatch is weak against them and Demeter's attacks won't do much," Anjali explained, returning them to their balls just in case.

"Then I'll use Wendy and help you," Melanie offered.

"Who's that?" Ash asked.

"Wendy, come on out!" Melanie threw the Poké Ball.

"Koffing, Sludge attack, now!" Pikachu was blinded.

"Anjali, hold Pikachu! Don't let them get it no matter what!"

"Of course," Anjali said, holding Pikachu.

"Pidgeotto, go!"

"Koffing, it's grime time!"

"Ekans, go get your dinner!"

"I almost died by the hands of some Spearow," Ash reminded Melanie. "Pidgeotto, Quick Attack!"

"I'm sorry, but it's our only hope right now!"

"Ekans, underground!"

"Pidgeotto, look behind you!" Ash warned. It flapped its wings to block Koffing's attack.

"We're gonna get a Pokémon!" Team Rocket chanted.

"No you're not!" Anjali yelled defiantly.

"Wendy, help Pidgeotto out with Growl!"

"That's a Growl? Pathetic," Jessie commented.

Ekans was attacking Pidgeotto and Koffing was on standby.

"WENDY, PECK ON KOFFING NOW!" Melanie yelled at the critical moment.

"Pidgeotto, return!" Ash called it back.

Koffing went down.

"Caterpie, you're my only hope now. Please try your hardest," Ash said.

"Hang in there," Anjali whispered.

"Caterpie, String Shot now!" Ash ordered. It wrapped Ekans in silk.

"Huh?"

"Beaten by a Caterpie? This is a disgrace!"

"Now watch a real Pokémon in action," Meowth threatened, claws glinting.

Caterpie simply used String Shot again. Anjali had to stifle a laugh at how ridiculously weak Meowth was.

"It's time Team Rocket blasted off!" exclaimed James.

"You may have won the battle, but you haven't won the war!" Jessie yelled back at the group.

"Come back anytime! We'll be glad to beat you!" Misty yelled back.

"Don't act like you actually did anything," Anjali scoffed.

"Neither did you," Misty retorted.

"I actually had a reason as to why I couldn't fight, unlike you," Anjali fired back. "Water Pokémon would do just fine against them!"

"Should we stop them?" Ash asked.

"Nah. It'll be fine. Anjali may seem like a pacifist, but if a fight goes down, she's winning," Melanie said confidently.

Anjali went back over to Melanie and Ash, leaving Misty to sulk.

"Congratulations, guys! You won your first trainer battle!" Anjali said, hugging Ash and Melanie.

"We... won..." Melanie slowly realized.

"YEAH!" Ash exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air.

"Good job, Caterpie. I'm proud of you," Ash said, picking it up. "We won because of you."

Anjali and Melanie smiled at Caterpie. "You're stronger than you look, Caterpie," Misty admitted.

"You like it now?" Melanie asked.

"How fake, liking it because of its strength rather than its personality," Anjali murmured.

"Well, Misty, make friends with Caterpie," Ash suggested. "Just pat it and say thanks for a really great job."

"Well... okay," Misty obliged. Melanie watched in interest while Anjali was stroking Pikachu's ears and giggling when they went in different directions. Pikachu giggled as well.

Misty reached out but white fluid suddenly sprayed from Caterpie's mouth.

"I've heard some guys have that problem but I didn't expect this," Melanie deadpanned. Misty did not appreciate the comment.

"I don't get it," Ash said.

Anjali fell to the floor, setting Pikachu down carefully before laughing and pounding her fists on the grass.

Melanie watched in awe as Ash set Caterpie on the floor. It continued spilling out the fluid, reminding Melanie of a fountain firework. Caterpie was engulfed in bright light.

Anjali's stomach was beginning to hurt, and she calmed down enough to stand up.

The light faded and revealed Metapod.

Ash brought out Dexter. "Metapod, Caterpie's next stage. It has encased its body in a hard shell. This specimen reached this stage very quickly."

"This is so great," Ash said, grinning. "What if this means you'll go on the next stage faster too?

"Probably," Misty remarked.

Anjali and Pikachu remembered seeing the Butterfree and how strongly Caterpie reacted to it.

"Nice to meet you, Metapod," Ash said gently.

"Now you can make friends with it, Misty."

"No thanks." A Beedrill flew over the heads of the kids. "I'll do anything if we can get out of here!"

"I do not want to hear your annoying ass whining right now," Melanie said. "We just witnessed a phenomenon."

"My voice isn't whiny," Misty whined.

"You just contradicted yourself," Anjali said happily.

"Let's explore more of this forest," Ash suggested. "I want to see even more new Pokémon!"

"I'm fine with that," Melanie said. Anjali nodded in agreement.

"Oh, Pikachu, let me clean that sludge off you," Anjali suggested, bringing out a washcloth.

"Hey, guys, wait up!" Misty yelled.


	5. I'm Sorry

Due to watching most of Indigo League, we realized how many plotholes it has. We also realized that it is quite bullshit. This story is no longer canon in our universe but I'm leaving it up and we're going to start back up again in Hoenn. We will do Sinnoh, not sure about Unova, and definitely Kalos because we love it.


End file.
